Huub van Esbroeck, one of Structo’s founders, said, “The project with FDC was an exciting one from our perspective because it allowed us to take a holistic look at the entire digital process from scanning to manufacturing. The Structo OrthoForm’s high printing speed and throughput enables businesses like FDC to take control of their own manufacturing process, giving them an edge in the highly competitive orthodontics market.”
“Lately, lots of patients have been requesting clear aligners instead of traditional braces because of the aesthetic appeal and ease of use. With the growing volume in cases, we saw the opportunity to start managing the process ourselves in-house to better control the quality of the aligners and reduce manufacturing cost,” explained Dr. N. Aizat, FDC Dental Group’s CEO and Group Clinical Director. “We commissioned Structo to supply us with their dental 3D printers and materials, and to set up the entire production line in our facility.”
By in-sourcing its manufacturing process with Structo’s assistance, and 3D printers, FDC has cut the turnaround time for its AAA Aligners from a month to just two weeks from the time its dentists receive a case. Structo’s OrthoForm 3D printer works at an extremely high rate of speed: it can print up to 30 dental models in just an hour and a half, so it’s safe to say that 3D printed orthodontic aligners will see some quick production. This faster delivery of aligners to patients gives the product a big edge over competing orthodontic solutions.
Dr. Aizat said, “So far, the take-up rate for AAA Aligners have been very encouraging and we will be rolling out the AAA program to all our 21 clinics islandwide.”
van Esbroeck said, “Structo’s mission is to empower businesses like FDC to deliver superior products with the help of digital dentistry and our application-specific solutions. We believe the speed of our printers will allow us to spearhead the widespread adoption of digital dentistry and we are glad we are able to help Dr. Aizat and the entire team at FDC to realise the benefits of a full digital workflow.”
Structo has also created its own photopolymer materials, which are specifically created for each use-case in a variety of 3D dental printing applications. Discuss in the Structo 3D forum at 3DPB.com.
https://youtu.be/fsya50fODhU
[Editor’s note, March 2018: Since publication, Dr. Aizat has left FDC and is no longer affiliated with the company.]